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Saturday, November 28, 2015

Vatican City, 28 November 2015 (VIS) –
Yesterday afternoon Pope Francis arrived in Uganda, the second leg of
his apostolic trip in Africa. He was awaited at at the airport by
President Yoweri Kaguta Museweni, representatives of the religious
and civil authorities, and a group of dancers who performed a
traditional dance in his honour. From the airport the Pope
transferred to the State House in Entebbe, where he privately greeted
the family of the president, who was also Head of State during St.
John Paul II's visit to the country. He then met with the authorities
and the diplomatic corps of Uganda.

In his address in the Conference Hall,
Francis emphasised that his visit was intended to commemorate the
fiftieth anniversary of the canonisation of the martyrs of Uganda by
his predecessor Pope Paul VI, but at the same time he hoped it would
also be “a sign of friendship, esteem and encouragement for all the
people of this great nation”.

“The Martyrs, both Catholic and
Anglican, are true national heroes. They bear witness to the guiding
principles expressed in Uganda’s motto – For God and My Country.
They remind us of the importance that faith, moral rectitude and
commitment to the common good have played, and continue to play, in
the cultural, economic and political life of this country. They also
remind us that, despite our different beliefs and convictions, all of
us are called to seek the truth, to work for justice and
reconciliation, and to respect, protect and help one another as
members of our one human family. These high ideals are particularly
demanded of men and women like yourselves, who are charged with
ensuring good and transparent governance, integral human development,
a broad participation in national life, as well as a wise and just
distribution of the goods which the Creator has so richly bestowed
upon these lands”.

“My visit is also meant to draw
attention to Africa as a whole, its promise, its hopes, its struggles
and its achievements”, he continued. “The world looks to Africa
as the continent of hope. Uganda has indeed been blessed by God with
abundant natural resources, which you are challenged to administer as
responsible stewards. But above all, the nation has been blessed in
its people: its strong families, its young and its elderly... the
living memory of every people”.

Francis praised Uganda's “outstanding
concern” for refugees, which has enabled them “to rebuild their
lives in security and to sense the dignity which comes from earning
one’s livelihood through honest labour. Our world, caught up in
wars, violence, and various forms of injustice, is witnessing an
unprecedented movement of peoples. How we deal with them is a test of
our humanity, our respect for human dignity, and above all our
solidarity with our brothers and sisters in need”.

“I hope to encourage the many quiet
efforts being made to care for the poor, the sick and those in any
kind of trouble. It is in these small signs that we see the true soul
of a people. In so many ways, our world is growing closer; yet at the
same time we see with concern the globalisation of a 'throwaway
culture' which blinds us to spiritual values, hardens our hearts
before the needs of the poor, and robs our young of hope”.

He concluded, “As I look forward to
meeting you and spending this time with you, I pray that you, Mr.
President, and all the beloved Ugandan people, will always prove
worthy of the values which have shaped the soul of your nation. Upon
all of you I invoke the Lord’s richest blessings. Mungu
awabariki!”.

Vatican City, 28 November 2015 (VIS) –
Following his encounter with the leaders of Uganda, the Pope
travelled 38 kilometres by car from Entebbe to Munyonyo, the place
where King Mwanga II (1884-1903) chose to exterminate the Christians
of Uganda and where in May 1886 the first four martyrs were killed,
including St. Andrew Kaggwa, patron of Ugandan catechists. Every year
catechists gather in the area of the shrine of Munyonyo, now
entrusted to the Conventual Franciscans, where a new Church able to
hold a thousand people is being built. Among the catechists attending
the meeting with the Holy Father there was also a representation of
teachers from the Uganda National Council of Laity, as laypeople have
played, and continue to play, a very important role in the
evangelisation of the country.

Upon arrival, the Pope was received by
the superior of the Franciscans and by Archbishiop Cyprian Kizito
Lwanga of Kampala, who accompanied him to the churchyard where he
planted and watered a tree, along with the archbishop and leaders of
the Orthodox and Protestant confessions to underline the ecumenical
aspect of the Ugandan martyrs. Indeed, dozens of Anglicans were
killed during the reign of King Mwanga II, alongside twenty-two of
his servants, pages and functionaries who were converted to
Catholicism by the missionaries of Africa.

After blessing the new statue of St.
Andrew Kaggwa, located in the place of his martyrdom, the Pope
addressed the catechists, first thanking them for their sacrifices in
fulfilling their mission. “You teach what Jesus taught, you
instruct adults and help parents to raise their children in the
faith, and you bring the joy and hope of eternal life to all”, he
said. “Thank you for your dedication, your example, your closeness
to God’s people in their daily lives, and all the many ways you
plant and nurture the seeds of faith throughout this vast land.
Thank you especially for teaching our children and young people how
to pray”.

“I know that your work, although
rewarding, is not easy. So I encourage you to persevere, and I ask
your bishops and priests to support you with a doctrinal, spiritual
and pastoral formation capable of making you ever more effective in
your outreach. Even when the task seems too much, the resources too
few, the obstacles too great, it should never be forgotten that yours
is a holy work. The Holy Spirit is present wherever the name of
Christ is proclaimed. He is in our midst whenever we lift up our
hearts and minds to God in prayer. He will give you the light and
strength you need! The message you bring will take root all the more
firmly in people’s hearts if you are not only a teacher but also a
witness. Your example should speak to everyone of the beauty of
prayer, the power of mercy and forgiveness, the joy of sharing in the
Eucharist with all our brothers and sisters”.

“The Christian community in Uganda
grew strong through the witness of the martyrs”, he continued.
“They testified to the truth which sets men free; they were willing
to shed their blood to be faithful to what they knew was good and
beautiful and true. We stand here today in Munyonyo at the place
where King Mwanga determined to wipe out the followers of Christ. He
failed in this, just as King Herod failed to kill Jesus. The light
shone in the darkness, and the darkness could not overcome it. After
seeing the fearless testimony of Saint Andrew Kaggwa and his
companions, Christians in Uganda became even more convinced of
Christ’s promises”.

“May Saint Andrew, your patron, and
all the Ugandan catechist martyrs, obtain for you the grace to be
wise teachers, men and women whose every word is filled with grace,
convincing witnesses to the splendour of God’s truth and the joy of
the Gospel”, the Pontiff concluded. “Go forth without fear to
every town and village in this country, to spread the good seed of
God’s word, and trust in his promise that you will come back
rejoicing, with sheaves full from the harvest. Omukama Abawe Omukisa!
God bless you!”.

Yesterday evening in the nunciature of
Kampala Pope Francis received the president of South Sudan, Salva
Kiir. The director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico
Lombardi, S.J., underlined that the audience represented a “special
gesture” demonstrating the attention with which the Pope follows
the troubled events in this country, the youngest in Africa
(independent since July 2011), and whose founders included the
Catholic bishop Cesare Mazzolari, who died shortly after its birth.
South Sudan has not yet known peace, although the ideals that
inspired its independence included peacemaking between ethnic groups
and with Sudan.

Vatican City, 28 November 2015 (VIS) –
Early this morning, the Pope visited the Anglican shrine at Namugongo
(under the jurisdiction of the Church of Uganda), erected in the
place where 25 Ugandans, Catholics and Anglicans, were martyred
between 1884 and 1887. Their relics are conserved in a chapel
adjacent to the holy building, situated just a few kilometres from
the Catholic shrine. Francis was welcomed by the Anglican archbishop
Stanley Ntagali, and he unveiled a commemorative plaque near the
recently restored chapel. He then went to the place where the martyrs
were condemned, tortured and killed. Forty bishops of the Ugandan
Anglican episcopate were present in the chapel. After praying a few
minutes in silence, the Holy Father took leave of Archbishop Ntagali
and travelled the three kilometres between the Anglican and Catholic
shrines by popemobile.

The national Catholic shrine of
Namugongo stands in a large natural park where religious ceremonies
are often held in the open air, due to the large numbers of faithful.
The shape of the Church recalls that of the traditional huts of the
Baganda or “Akasiisiira” ethnic group, and is supported by 22
pillars commemorating the 22 Catholic martyrs. In front of the main
entrance to the Basilica, below the great altar, there is the place
where Charles Lwanga was burned alive in 1886. The church was
consecrated by Blessed Paul VI during his apostolic trip to Uganda in
1969, and is a destination for pilgrims throughout the year, but
especially on 3 June, the day of Charles Lwanga's martyrdom.

Before celebrating the Eucharist,
Francis entered the Basilica and prayed before the altar which holds
the relics of Charles Lwanga. He then toured the area by popemobile
to greet the thousands of faithful who attended the votive Mass for
the fiftieth anniversary of the canonisation of the martyrs of
Uganda, and pronounced the following homily:

“From the age of the Apostles to our
own day, a great cloud of witnesses has been raised up to proclaim
Jesus and show forth the power of the Holy Spirit. Today, we recall
with gratitude the sacrifice of the Uganda martyrs, whose witness of
love for Christ and his Church has truly gone 'to the end of the
earth'. We remember also the Anglican martyrs whose deaths for Christ
testify to the ecumenism of blood. All these witnesses nurtured the
gift of the Holy Spirit in their lives and freely gave testimony of
their faith in Jesus Christ, even at the cost of their lives, many at
such a young age”.

“We too have received the gift of the
Spirit, to make us sons and daughters of God, but also so that we may
bear witness to Jesus and make him everywhere known and loved. We
received the Spirit when we were reborn in Baptism, and we were
strengthened by his gifts at our Confirmation. Every day we are
called to deepen the Holy Spirit’s presence in our life, to 'fan
into flame' the gift of his divine love so that we may be a source of
wisdom and strength to others”.

“The gift of the Holy Spirit is a
gift which is meant to be shared. It unites us to one another as
believers and living members of Christ’s mystical Body. We do not
receive the gift of the Spirit for ourselves alone, but to build up
one another in faith, hope and love. I think of Saints Joseph Mkasa
and Charles Lwanga, who after being catechised by others, wanted to
pass on the gift they had received. They did this in dangerous times.
Not only were their lives threatened but so too were the lives of the
younger boys under their care. Because they had tended to their faith
and deepened their love of God, they were fearless in bringing Christ
to others, even at the cost of their lives. Their faith became
witness; today, venerated as martyrs, their example continues to
inspire people throughout the world. They continue to proclaim Jesus
Christ and the power of his Cross”.

“If, like the martyrs, we daily fan
into flame the gift of the Spirit who dwells in our hearts, then we
will surely become the missionary disciples which Christ calls us to
be. To our families and friends certainly, but also to those whom we
do not know, especially those who might be unfriendly, even hostile,
to us. This openness to others begins first in the family, in our
homes where charity and forgiveness are learned, and the mercy and
love of God made known in our parents’ love. It finds expression
too in our care for the elderly and the poor, the widowed and the
orphaned”.

“The witness of the martyrs shows to
all who have heard their story, then and now, that the worldly
pleasures and earthly power do not bring lasting joy or peace.
Rather, fidelity to God, honesty and integrity of life, and genuine
concern for the good of others bring us that peace which the world
cannot give. This does not diminish our concern for this world, as if
we only look to the life to come. Instead, it gives purpose to our
lives in this world, and helps us to reach out to those in need, to
cooperate with others for the common good, and to build a more just
society which promotes human dignity, defends God’s gift of life
and protects the wonders of nature, his creation and our common
home”.

“Dear brothers and sisters, this is
the legacy which you have received from the Ugandan martyrs – lives
marked by the power of the Holy Spirit, lives which witness even now
to the transforming power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This legacy
is not served by an occasional remembrance, or by being enshrined in
a museum as a precious jewel. Rather, we honour them, and all the
saints, when we carry on their witness to Christ, in our homes and
neighbourhoods, in our workplaces and civil society, whether we never
leave our homes or we go to the farthest corner of the world”.

“May the Uganda martyrs, together
with Mary, Mother of the Church, intercede for us, and may the Holy
Spirit kindle within us the fire of his divine love! Omukama abawe
omukisa. God bless you!”.

Vatican City, 28 November 2015 (VIS) –
The Holy Father's last act in Kenya was his encounter with the young
in the Kasarani stadium, where he set aside his prepared discourse
and instead directly responded to some questions, in his native
Spanish. The following are extensive extracts from Pope Francis'
answers.

“There exists a question at the basis
of all the questions you have asked me. Why are there divisions,
struggles, war, death and fanaticism? Why is there this desire for
self-destruction? In the first page of the Bible, after all the
wonders that God worked, a brother kills his own brother. The spirit
of evil leads us to destruction; the spirit of evil leads us to
disunity, to tribalism, to corruption, to drug abuse. … It leads us
to destruction through fanaticism. Manuel asked me, 'What can we do
to ensure that ideological fanaticism does not rob us of our brothers
or friends?'. … The first thing I would say in response is that a
man loses the best of his humanity, and a woman loses the best of her
humanity, when they forget to pray, because they consider themselves
omnipotent; they do not feel the need to ask the Lord's help when
faced with so many tragedies. Life is full of difficulties, but there
are two ways of looking at difficulties: either you can see them as
something that obstructs you, that destroys you, or you can see them
as a real opportunity. It is up to you to choose. For me, is a
difficulty either a path to destruction, or an opportunity to
overcome my situation, or that of my family, my community or my
country? … Some of the difficulties that you have mentioned are
challenges”.

“One challenge that Lynette mentioned
is that of tribalism. Tribalism destroys a nation: … it can be
defeated by using our ear, our heart and our hand. With our ears, we
listen: what is your culture? Why are you this way? Why does your
tribe have this habit or this custom? … With the heart: after
listening, the answer is to open your heart; and finally, to extend
you hand so as to continue the dialogue. … I would now like to
invite all you young people … to come here and to take each other
by the hand; let us stand up and take each other by the hand as a
sign against tribalism. We are all a single nation! … Conquering
tribalism is a task to be carried out day by day: it is the work of
the ear, in listening to others; the work of the heart, opening one's
heart to others; and the work of the hand, extending one's hand to
others”.

“Another question is that of
corruption. … Corruption is something that enters into us. It is
like sugar: it is sweet, we like it, it's easy, but then, it ends
badly. With so much easy sugar we end up diabetic, and so does our
country. Every time we accept a bribe and put it in our pocket, we
destroy our heart, we destroy our personality and we destroy our
homeland. … What you steal through corruption remains … in the
heart of the many men and women who have been harmed by your example
of corruption. It remains in the lack of the good you should have
done and did not do. It remains in sick and hungry children, because
the money that was for them, through your corruption, you kept for
yourself. Boys and girls, corruption is not a path for life, it is a
path of death”.

“Manuel too asked some incisive
questions. … What can we do to prevent the recruitment of our loved
ones [by militias]? What can we do to bring them back? To answer this
question we need to know why a young person, full of hope, lets
himself be recruited or indeed seeks to be recruited: he leaves
behind his family, his friends, he drifts away from life, because he
learns how to kill. And this is a question that you must address to
the authorities. If a young person, a boy or a girl, a man or a
woman, has no job and cannot study, what can he or she do? … The
first thing we must do to prevent the young from being recruited or
seeking recruitment is to focus on education and work. If young
people have no job, what future awaits them? … This is the danger.
It is a social danger, that comes from beyond us, from beyond the
country, because it depends on the international system, which is
unjust, and which places the economy and the god of money at its
centre, rather than the person”.

“Another question was: how can we see
the hand of God in the tragedies of life? … Men and women all over
the world ask themselves this question in one way or another, and
they find no explanation. There are questions to which, no matter how
much we try to respond, we are unable to find an answer. How can I
see the hand of God in a tragedy of life? There is just one answer:
no, there is no answer. There is just one route, looking at the Son
of God. God delivered Him to us to save all of us. God Himself became
a tragedy. God let Himself be destroyed on the cross. And when the
moment comes when you do not understand, when you are desperate and
the world seems to fall down around you, look to the Cross! There we
see God's failure, God's destruction. But there is also the challenge
of our faith. Because the story did not end with this failure: there
was then the Resurrection, which renewed us all”.

“A final question … What words do
you have for young people who have not experienced love in their own
families? Is it possible to come out of this experience? There are
abandoned children everywhere: either they are abandoned at birth, or
they were abandoned by life, by the family and parents, and do not
feel the affection of the family. This is why the family is so
important. … There is just one cure to emerge from this experience:
give what you have not received. If you have not received
understanding, be understanding with others; if you have not received
love, love others; if you have felt the pain of loneliness, draw
close to those who are alone. Flesh is healed with flesh! And God
made Himself flesh to heal us. Let us too do the same towards
others”.

Vatican City, 28 November 2015 (VIS) -
“'Realities simply are, whereas ideas are worked out. There has to
be a continuous dialogue between the two, lest ideas become detached
from realities. It is dangerous to dwell in the realm of words alone,
of images and rhetoric'. To prevent the danger of living detached
from reality, it is necessary to open the eyes and the heart”, says
Pope Francis in the video message he sent yesterday afternoon to the
participants in the 5th Festival of the Social Doctrine of the
Church, held in Verona from 26 to 29 November, on the theme “The
challenge of reality”.

“Our life is made up of many things”,
he continued; “a torrent of news, of many problems: all this leads
us not to see, not to be aware of the problems of the people who are
near us. Indifference seems to be a medicine that protects us from
involvement, and becomes a way of being more relaxed. This is
indifference. But this non-involvement is a way of defending our
selfishness, and saddens us. … The challenge of reality also
requires the capacity for dialogue, to build bridges instead of
walls. This is the time for dialogue, not for the defence of
opposition and rigidity. I invite you to face 'the challenge of
finding and sharing the mystique of living together, of mingling and
encounter, of embracing and supporting one another, of stepping into
this flood tide which, while chaotic, can become a genuine experience
of fraternity, a caravan of solidarity, a sacred pilgrimage'”.

“The challenge of reality, however,
requires change. Everyone is aware of the need for change, because we
sense that something is not working. … True change begins in
ourselves and is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. People who experience
inner change from the Spirit lead also to social change”.

The Pope goes on to mention the
environmental challenge, and the need to “listen to the cry of
Mother Earth. Respect for creatures and for creation represents a
great challenge for the future of humanity. Man and creation are
inseparably linked”. Francis emphasises that while we think of this
theme as being part of politics, economics and development strategy,
“nothing can substitute personal commitment. Austerity, responsible
consumption, a lifestyle that welcomes creation as a gift and
excludes predatory and exclusive forms of possession, is the concrete
way of creating a new sensibility. If many of us live like this, it
will have a positive impact on society as a whole, and the cry of the
earth and the cry of the poor will become audible to all”, he
concluded.

Vatican City, 28 November 2015 (VIS) –
The Holy Father has accepted the resignation from the pastoral care
of the diocese of Yopougon, Cote d'Ivoire, presented by Bishop
Laurent Akran Mandjo upon reaching the age limit. He is succeeded by
Bishop Jean Salomon Lezoutie, coadjutor of the same diocese.